


\_(ツ)_/

by Gorignak



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Magical Tattoos, Multi, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, soulmate tattos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 11:10:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4785173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gorignak/pseuds/Gorignak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grantaire notices Enjolras...of course he does, how could anyone not? He just never expected Enjolras to notice him...or to say those words...uh-oh.</p><p> </p><p>In a world where you actually KNOW there is one best person for you, and that you are the best person for them, how do you live up to the pressure?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thread by Thread I Come Apart

**Author's Note:**

> you get your soulmate tattoo when you are 21...I know I'm super late to this party but \\_(ツ)_/

“Combeferre, I can’t see it what does it say?” Enjolras asked nervously, itching at his left wrist as the burning sensation between his shoulder blades increased. Leave it to him to get his soulmate tattoo in the most inconvenient spot. Well, probably not the most inconvenient spot. It could have been on his face. Or his ass. Or his –

“Enjolras, take a breath,” Ferre patted his shoulder reassuringly, which did nothing to calm his nerves.

“Is…is that what is says or are you just talking? Ferre – ”

“Enjolras,” Combeferre circled to the front of Enjolras’ couch, taking E’s shoulders in his hands, “you have got to calm down. I know this is a big deal, but you have to remember that they’re just words. They could be extremely commonplace words that you hear every day, or something extremely unique that might take years for you to hear. Just because these words are coming now doesn’t mean your life is going to change by your soulmate walking through the door tomorrow. So take a breath with me, ok?”

Enjolras followed Combeferre’s lead, breathing in slowly and letting all his air out in a whoosh. His shoulders sagged as Combeferre moved to sit next to him and Enjolras leaned his elbows on his knees, head in hand.

“I know, I know,” he scrubbed his face and absently rubbed his wrist, “I might not ever meet them. They could live halfway around the world, the words could fade if they die before I ever even meet them and then I could get new words, I could meet them and they could reject me because the timing is off…and it might be a really long time before we can be together.”

“God this sucks.” Combeferre whispered. ”Why do we put so much emphasis on this? I mean, sure, it’s the words of the person most suitable to you and to whom you are most suitable out of all the people in the world…and that would be great to find,” Combeferre got quiet for a minute, “That would be amazing…but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find happiness with someone else. You could be so happy with someone who could be your number two best match for all you know, but you miss out on it because you’re waiting for your soul – ”

“Combeferre,” Enjolras interrupted.

“What?”

“It stopped burning.”

This was it. And Enjolras knew that Combeferre was right. He knew that the odds were still stacked against his actually meeting his soulmate, that his soulmate was not the only person in the world he could be happy with, that he didn’t need his soulmate to complete him. But he still needed to know what those words were. He still wanted to know something about the person who was best suited for him, even if it was just something they would say one day in the future. He still wanted to give this thing a chance, even if the odds that it would work organically were crappy. Every relationship needed work, even soulmates. As long as the two of them put forth an effort, it could work…right?

“What does it say?”

Combeferre paused.

“It says ‘ _I- I don’t think I can do this_.’”

Enjolras craned his head around, trying to catch a glimpse of what Combeferre saw before slowly sinking back into the couch.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

###

Grantaire sat alone, staring at his left wrist, wishing he could reach the itch in between his shoulder blades.

“ _Wow, your stuff is pretty amazing_.”

He’d been staring at those words for a good amount of time now, not knowing exactly what to think. He wished he had someone here with him, but he couldn’t think of anyone who he liked enough that might care. Montparnasse might, but he’d be too big of an ass about the whole thing, and every time Grantaire had him over he stole something. One time a jacket, one time a photo album, and one time a half-finished painting that 1)Grantaire had no idea why he wanted, and 2) was not quite sure how he had gotten out of his apartment without Grantaire noticing.

Marius definitely would care, but Grantaire had only started working at his grandfather’s gallery last week, and already the guy was acting like they were best friends. Not really something Grantaire could be mad about, but it weirded him out a bit. He did like that girl that was always hanging around Marius. Maybe a girlfriend? But they weren’t nearly close enough for this either.

A compliment. That was a good start, right? At least he knew his soul mate wasn’t an asshole. Or maybe they were, and just had really shitty taste in art. Or alcohol. Or weed. Or… furniture? Really, what did “stuff” refer to? Grantaire closed his eyes and rested his head against his wall, trying to still his thoughts. It was a compliment.


	2. If Brokenness is a Form of Art

“Grantaire I swear to God if you don’t open this door I’m just going to take a piss right here on your doorstep.”

Grantaire chuckled for a moment at that visual before rolling himself off of his shitty couch to unlatch the door for an extremely disgruntled Eponine.

“Hello my dear,” Grantaire leaned one arm against the doorframe, bending down to kiss her hand, “you’re looking radiant as ever.”

“Fuck off, R,” Eponine pushed past him, shouting back as she headed for the bathroom, “And change your shirt, I’m not showing up to this thing with you looking like a ragamuffin.”

Grantaire smiled as he shut the door.

“A what?”

The bathroom door slammed and Eponine answered, “You heard me.”

“I have never in my life resembled anything remotely akin to a ragamuffin, and I take personal offense to these groundless accusations.”

“Yeah, yeah, I hope you’re doing all this chatting while changing your goddamn shirt or else all of this is seeming a bit like ragamuffin behavior.”

Grantaire chuckled again, grabbing for a fresh blue t-shirt and shucking off his old yellow one. Really, he didn’t see the point. He owned like five tops and they were all t-shirts in carrying states of wornness. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to tame the no-doubt ragamuffin-esque mess of brown curls up there before checking the leather cuff he wore around his left wrist.

He had taken to wearing it about a week after he had gotten his tattoo. Something about the way strangers would look at him when they caught a glimpse, trying to read it, trying to pry into his personal life, it was just easier to cover it up. It was easier to live his life with all that on the backburner, same now as it had been three years ago. It wasn’t like he was looking to find his soulmate right now. He was a mess. Couldn’t even open the door in a timely manner for a friend in need. Whoever his soulmate was, they would be better off without him for a while.

The bathroom door opened and Eponine let out a sigh of relief.

“Look! You changed.”

“Anything for you.”

“You’re damn right,” Eponine smiled radiantly, “alright let’s do this thing.”

Grantaire grabbed his keys as they headed for the door.

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright seeing Marius after...you know?” Grantaire asked as he locked the door. Eponine had always had a thing for Marius, which had been pretty obvious to everyone…except Marius apparently. Every day at the gallery there she would be, helping out when they needed it, sometimes just staring at the art, but always with a watchful eye on him. Those days were actually when she and R got so close, but he knew who she was really there for. And she knew Marius wasn’t her soulmate; she’d gotten her words, so had he, and they didn’t match up. But lots of people found love with people other than their soulmates. So when Eponine had finally made a move a month ago, it had hit her extra hard when he’d said he wasn’t interested. Hanging on for his soulmate.

Eponine shoved her hands in her pockets.

“I’ll be fine,” she nodded to herself, “I mean he told me what he wants, and it took me a while, but I know I’m not it, and I can respect that now. I’m not going to cause a scene…and you are stalling, so get your artist ass in gear. Come on I’ve been trying to get you to come to one of these for months, you’re not backing out now.”

Grantaire pulled his hands up in mock surrender as Eponine dragged him down the hallway.

“Are you sure this is my kind of thing?” R questioned. “This Enjolras guy seems like a bit of an ass.”

Eponine just looked back at him and smiled.

“Trust me, you’re gonna love him.”


End file.
